PAHOKEE – Meet Xavier Mitchell.
He is currently the Pahokee Blue Devils starting quarterback who played in eight games this past season. The 6-foot, 180-pound signal-caller from the ‘26 class posted the following statistics in 2023:
•609 passing yards
•7 touchdown passes
•3 rushing touchdowns
•55 percent completion rate
Mitchell’s best individual game was in Week 7 at Atlantic in a 22-20 road loss. Here are his statistics and Hudl video highlights below.
•12-22 for 159 yards
•1 passing touchdown
•2 rushing touchdowns
“Atlantic is one of the best teams in Palm Beach County, producing D1 (Division 1) talent and always having competitive games,” Mitchell said. “To say the least, I was surprised at my own performance. It was a new experience for me, playing in a hostile environment like Atlantic, and I proved that I can handle the pressure.”
Mitchell’s sophomore season was cut short during Pahokee’s next game at Benjamin – a 35-0 road loss in Week 8. It ended due to partially torn labrum injury.
The Blue Devils underclassman recapped this past season.
“Some takeaways from the season is just to be consistent and take recovery seriously, watch more film, and continue to improve my game as I go,” Mitchell said. “Something I loved about this season was the team as a whole. The energy was always there and just being there was fun. Something that could’ve gone differently is just playing until the final whistle. Some games that resulted in losses could’ve been avoided, but we learned from our mistakes and strived to be the best.”
Mitchell credited Blue Devils head coach Matthew Sparrowhawk and former Blue Devils offensive coordinator/now-Glades Central Raiders head coach Omar Haugabook for his development as a quarterback at the high school level.
“Coach Omar, he’s a coach that is going to push you to be the best player you can possibly be and have fun doing it,” Mitchell said. “He’s a fun coach to have, but when it’s time to lock in for the week, you’re going to know. Coach Sparrowhawk, he is a great head coach, easy to walk up to him and have a conversation and just get a good laugh. He pushes you to be great and overall teaches you life lessons to be the best man possible, no matter where your career takes you. Coach Omar and Sparrowhawk both believed in me since the first practice of spring. They knew we had a long five months to get the team ready after coming off a great season prior, so when I was told I was going to be starting, the work never stopped, and consistency and team chemistry had to be through the roof.”
Mitchell did not play in the 2023 Muck Bowl against Glades Central due to his season-ending injury. But he certainly plans to be part of the 2024 Muck Bowl, which will be at Glades Central in Belle Glade this fall.
“It felt bad watching from the sidelines in the biggest game of the year, but at least we got the win,” Mitchell said of Pahokee’s 55-22 home triumph over Glades Central.
For this year’s Muck Bowl, it will be a coaching matchup to remember: Sparrowhawk vs. Haugabook.
“Been counting the days until kickoff,” he said. “It’s going be one for the ages. They’re very good friends, so we are going to have to see who outcoaches the other.”
While Mitchell is yearning for the opportunity to get back on the field, he has been hard at work focusing on his recovery.
“I’m healing up pretty good,” he said. “I’m doing calisthenics workouts to strengthen my shoulder and taking things one step at a time to get back to my full potential.”
Mitchell shared his ultimate aspirations for this upcoming fall season with the Pahokee Blue Devils.
“My individual goals for this upcoming season are to lead the county in passing yards and touchdowns,” Mitchell said. “For team goals, it’s to win Muck Bowl and a state championship.”
We will follow Mitchell’s progress throughout this year and beyond.
PHOTO CREDITS: Benshotem, Drew Campbell, and Tuffshotmedia
VIDEO CREDITS: Hudl
Muck City Media Enterprises 
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